Happy Friar Friday! Today we want to introduce you to someone very special in our province, Father David Beaumont. He is a capuchin missionary priest who is truly walking in the footsteps of our dear friend Saint Francis himself.
Father David knew from a young age that he felt a very strong religious calling. He started as an altar boy at age 10, entered into the novitiate at age 15 and was officially ordained into the Capuchin Order at 18 years old!!
Over 30 years ago, Father David was asked to join the Province’s missionary team in northern Mexico. Little did he know how his life was going to change. From that point on, Father David has dedicated his life to bringing faith, hope and joy to indigenous tribes. For centuries after the Jesuit expulsion in 1767, the Pimas, Mayos, Yaquis and Guarijios had no priests to minister to them and their Catholic faith was based on oral traditions.
One of Father David’s labors of love was the translation of the Holy Mass, Catechism, and Psalms into four native languages. He became a father figure to hundreds of children. More than just looking after their spiritual needs, he became their advocate. He worked together with the government to bring running water to the villages and initiate new farming projects to make the indigenous tribes self-sufficient.
Little by little, through his great love of their culture and by learning their languages, Father David became a trusted friend. He embodies the Capuchin values of love and caring for the neediest, often putting himself between harm and his people.
Thank you Father David for your selfless devotion to those who need you the most!
