I have been traveling back in forth between Baltimore and Washington DC. I moved most of my stuff back to DC to the friary where I will return to next year. In DC, I helped plan our liturgy and music for our solemn profession in August. I am getting very excited about that!

Before profession, there are going to be two cool events. First, starting tomorrow, is an fraternal assembly of friars from the 2 east coast provinces. We are meeting north of Baltimore to discuss our future and what it means to be a Conventual Franciscan and issues of collaboration, reconfiguration and future issues. I am excited about being with the friars for a couple days. It will be great to catch up with some of the guys that I haven’t seen in awhile. The assembly goes concludes on Thursday. After, I head to NYC with one of th friars to prepare for Solemn Vow Retreat.

One of most important and formative events in a friar’s life is his novitiate. Novitiate is an opportunity to fall in love with God and the Franciscan lifestyle. Novitiate precedes the first profession of vows. Before a friar makes his lifelong commitment he makes a month long retreat often called his second novitiate.

In the past some friars have gone to Buffalo,NY, Ditmer MO or even the Desert.We are not going to any of those exotic locales, instead we are traveling to Rome and Assisi for a pilgramage in the footprints of Francis and Clare! We leave on Friday and I AM GETTING STOKED!

I will probably blog once or twice more before I leave, but please keep me and the other pilgrims in your prayers and know of my prayer. If you want to leave a pray intention please feel free to use the combox or drop me an email at friarmatt @ gmail . com (no spaces that is just to mess with the spammers!)

pace et bene!
friar Matt