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Franciscans celebrate 100
years in Alberta
Edmonton Journal
September 21, 2008
Pierre
Ducharme recalls the look of disbelief when he pulled up to a gas
station in shorts and sandals, then pulled out a Franciscan Friar
gas card.
"Is that for real?" a skeptical gas attendant asked. "When I think
of Franciscans, I think of men who lived in the hills of Italy in
the Middle Ages." "Yeah," replied Ducharme, returning last summer
from a holiday. "That's us, but we've also been in Western Canada
for almost a century." Ducharme chuckles, thinking back over some of
the reactions when people learn he's on track to becoming a
Franciscan friar. He is thrilled to be part of a growing movement of
men clambering to enter the order founded by St. Francis of Assisi
nearly 800 years ago.
It's counter to what's facing most Catholic religious orders.
"Obviously, something we're doing is working," says Ducharme, a
31-year-old Vancouver native. "We're growing." Next year, three of
the eight men currently in spiritual formation as friars in Edmonton
will take their solemn vows and be ordained as Franciscan priests
the year after.
It's the first time that has happened since 1987, when Rev. Dennis
Vavrek, now the head friar or principal of the Franciscans of
Western Canada, was himself ordained.
"There's been a 20-year drought, you might say," says Vavrek.
He said three or four other men have also expressed interest in
joining the brotherhood.
Typical candidates, he said, tend to be men with a bit of life
experience under their belts, as was the case with a former
scientist and an investment broker.
Vavrek's big concern now is where all the money will come to cover
their education and formation costs.
Because all Friars live out of a common fund, a Franciscan candidate
has all his expenses covered by the Franciscan community. It's
roughly $20,000 a year per candidate.
With eight candidates preparing for six years, that's approaching $1
million.
It's why as part of the order's 100th anniversary in Alberta this
year, a gala dinner is being held Oct. 3 to mark the milestone and
to raise funds for the formation of Franciscans.
Today, the Friars of Western Canada, more properly known as Christ
the King Province, is comprised of 47 men.
Edmonton has the longest continuous Franciscan presence, and
currently houses nine friars. They also have retreat houses in
Cochrane and Lumsden, Sask., a friary in Victoria, parishes in B.C.
and two friars at a mission in Peru.
Unlike monks, with whom they are often confused, friars live
communally, not in seclusion or silence.
As for what's causing the mini-vocation boom, Ducharme was attracted
by the great range of opportunities available to friars. "I wanted
to do something challenging," says Ducharme, who's also completing
his Masters in Divinity at Newman Theological College.
Locally, a few friars teach theology at Newman, but everyone is
involved in various social justice ministries. Examples include
serving meals to the inner- city poor, prison chaplaincy, providing
assistance to recovering alcoholics and helping deliver used
furniture for other charities to needy people. Another area of
interest for Franciscans is the environment -- St. Francis of Assisi
is the patron saint of the environment.
Interviewed at the local friary -- the main house that friars live
in -- Vavrek and Ducharme were grateful for the chance to explode a
few myths about Franciscans -- like the one that each friary has a
winery in the basement.
They also point out that the two-piece brown robe with knotted rope
-- the habit for which friars have long been associated -- is only
worn on special occasions. Ninety-nine per cent of the time friars
could pass for your neighbour. |
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