We are joyful to announce that seven men have been accepted into the Capuchin Franciscan Order as postulants. We welcome them with gratitude and ask for the prayers of all who support the friars.
Our new postulants are:
Evan Havrilla, 20, Moscow, ID
Ryan Yarhi, 20, Reno, NV
Dylan Walters, 22, Colleyville, TX
Terry Nguyen, 24, Huntington Beach, CA
Nick Kisielewski, 36, Rockford, MI
Bryan Villaluz, 39, Camarillo, CA
Chase Wall, 42, Reno, NV
What is a postulant?
Postulancy is the first formal stage of Capuchin formation. The word comes from the Latin postulare, which means to ask. A postulant is a man asking to enter the life of the friars, and the period of postulancy gives him the time and space to test that calling.
During this stage, the postulant moves in with the community and begins to share the daily life of the friars. He prays the Liturgy of the Hours, joins the brothers for Mass, takes part in shared meals and household work, and learns what it means to live in fraternity. He also continues his studies and meets regularly with a director who helps him grow in self-knowledge and discernment.
Postulancy is a season of getting to know one another. The postulant comes to understand the Capuchin way of life from the inside, and the community comes to know him. It is a time of prayer, honesty, and patience, where a man listens carefully for confirmation of the call that brought him to the door.
For those who continue, postulancy leads to the novitiate, the next stage of formation, where the man receives the Capuchin habit and enters more deeply into the life of the Order. Each step builds on the one before it, and each is taken slowly and prayerfully.
Please keep these seven men in your prayers as they begin this journey.
Feeling the call to religious life? Contact us at CapuchinsWest.org.
