By now you know that I was formerly trained under the tutelage of the Capuchin Brothers here in the Philippine province. Though I left my beloved order with no regrets of whatsoever, yet it doesn’t mean that my upbringing, culture and heritage from the Seraphic order, which molded me to what I am today will just be easily set aside through the passage of time. My Capuchin education is so precious to me that I would not trade it for any Ivy league on the planet. I remember when I first entered those walls as a formandy, my prayer was to ask for the grace of absorption by heart, everything that my mentors and superiors would teach me. And after a decade, everything that they have thought me are still fresh in my mind as if I just left the formation yesterday. If ever I would have any regret, I think it would be that I didn’t stayed long enough to learn other teachings in stored for me in the formation.

From that simple prayer, there surfaced a greater dream. A dream of not just being a Capuchin for life, but being a Capuchin until death. I once attended a wake of a Capuchin Friar of the order and when I saw his remains at the coffin, wearing the habit of the Capuchins. I said to myself, “This is what I want to be someday, A capuchin brother until the very last breath”. And after that, all of the trials that I faced inside the formation became a breeze. Severe and hard, yet tolerable and breeze.

It’s an obvious fact that that dream of mine has now become an impossibility. Yet full of hope, we don’t know when and where, for God’s call is so mysterious, unexpected and weird, just like what I mentioned in my Vocation Story.

Anyway, the reason why I was blabbering about my dream of dying as a Capuchin friar is because Fr. Martin of the Florida Capuchins who has become one of my loyal readers here in this blog and a very amiable brother and friend, has told me to take a look at the Capuchin Generalate Website about the Capuchin Saints which they featured there.

Lo and Behold, upon opening the site, this is what I saw which really made my day and somehow warmed the frozen vocation which I kept inside me for years: The Chapel of the Capuchin saints where they keep all of the relics of Saints, Blesseds and Venerables lined for Beatification Causes of the entire Capuchin order. Take a look, and experience a piece of heaven with the Capuchins:

Note: The orginal Pics has no captions, so let’s just assume that my hunch and guesses are right about the pictures. Or let us just wait for Fr. Martin to read this so that he can clarify for us some of the pictures here.

(Pictures are courtesy of the Capuchin Curia Website)

The Chapel of all Capuchin Saints in the Capuchin Generelate in Rome. Above the altar is the Blessed Virgin Mary with St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony de Padua at her side. On smaller niches are the images of some of the prominent Capuchin saints.

The Chapel of the entire Capuchin Saints and Blesseds in the General Curia where all their relics are enshrined

Those small crypts on the wall are the niches were the relics are enshrined

Wow, you are literally surrounded by saints when you pray here.

The fresco above the altar which reads (let’s hope that my Latin educ is still intact) “Praise the Lord in his sanctuary” which, if I am not mistaking, was taken from the first verse of Psalm 150 — hehe I Should know, I use to play this hymn during the liturgy of the hours every feast days and solemnities in the seminary.

The Seraphic Order’s famous insignia: Christ’s crucified hand over St. Francis’ Stigmatized hand crossing over each other to form a cross.

Detail of the wood carved images of the Capuchin Saints

The statue of St. Leopoldo Mandic OFM Cap

The relic of the Capuchin Order’s first saint, St. Felix of Cantalice

Taking a peek inside the reliquary

The relics of Bl. Jerome Valachia

Cross Relic of Blessed Marco d’Aviano

detail of the relic of Blessed Marco d’Aviano with the Capuchin Saints poster in the background

Relics of other Capuchin friars and nuns which are waiting for their causes to be approved and be included in the Canon of saints are kept in a separate cabinet.

The first class relic of Saint Leopold Mandic

Padre Pio’s scab on the wound of the stigmata and a part of the bandage used to wrap the sain’ts hand is preserved in a reliquary

Another first class relic of Padre Pio

The statue of Christ and Padre Pio

The Postulator General of the Capuchin Order is the one who manage and takes care of the Order’s causes for sainthood.

Capuchin Postulators Alfonso Ramirez and Florio Tessari: This two is probably the most knowledgeable people when it comes to Capuchin Saints. In their hands lies the progress of the capuchin candidate’s cause for sainthood.

See these voluminous documents and books? These are the manuscripts that aid in postulating the cause of the candidate for sainthood. It includes works and manuscripts of the candidate, testimonies of witnesses, documents such as evidence of miraculous healings, autobiographies, hagiographies and anything that might prove and help study the holiness of the candidate for sainthood in the Capuchin order. The Postulator Genral and his staff is the one assigned in documenting and collecting all these evidences and works. Talk about office work huh?

Close shot of the books in the Postulator’s library. The first book in the row reads (Latin) “..vitae, virtutum et miracul. Servi Dei Jacobi a Ghazir, sacerdotis, profess..” which means:  “..Life, Virtues and Miracles of Servant of God Jacob of Ghazir, Priest and Professed Brother”. Jacob of Ghazir of Lebanon, A capuchin Friar is now a blessed. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in Beirut, Lebanon

Behold, the Glory of the Capuchin Order. The Saints and the Blesseds above and the Venerables and Servants of God beneath the cross. When this was painted, Leopoldo Mandic and other Capuchins were not yet proclaimed as blessed and saints. Mandic is now a saint as well as St. Francis Mary Comporosso. I used to have a replica of this painting which was given to me by a Capuchin friar. I laminated it but due to the poor lamination, the replica’s color faded and humidity rendered the paper flimsy. I hope I can find another replica of this.